By Karla Hall, LPN
Well-child visits allow your physician to assess their physical and emotional needs, support their growth and development, and intervene quickly if any issues arise. During an annual wellness visit, your child’s physician will: Determine if your child is meeting growth and developmental milestones for their age; Evaluate your child’s vision and hearing for anything out of the ordinary – it’s important to catch these issues early; Ask about sudden changes in your child’s usual activities, mood and overall health; Assess your child’s mental health, and ask questions about how they are coping with school, friends, family and any other outside influences; Provide immunizations for childhood diseases and common conditions that affect children or young adults; Get to know your child: their diet, sleeping patterns, nutrition, social interactions, behavior and stress levels; Help your child establish healthy habits and provide tips for families to reinforce these at home; Provide age- and behavior-based counseling for teens on topics such as driver safety, depression and drug or alcohol use; Check in on how your family is doing and identify any supportive resources or advice related to navigating daily life.
What are the ages for well-child visits? A standard well-child visit schedule spans from infancy through adolescence, and includes checkups at the following ages: In your baby’s first year: Newborn visit (3-5 days after birth), at 1 month old, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, and at 12 months; 15 months; 18 months; 2 years; 3 years; 4 years; 5-6 years; 7-8 years; 9-10 years; 11-14 years; 15-17 years; 18-21 years. Don’t fall behind on your child’s routine care — a minor issue today could become a major problem tomorrow.